Rams down Golden Eagles
By Matt Poling 
Martinsburg Journal
SHEPHERDSTOWN – Traditional logic says that football teams are supposed to schedule a doormat for homecoming. After all, nobody wants the weekend’s festivities spoiled because the football team loses.
So when No. 22 Shepherd scheduled Charleston, which came into Saturday’s game leading the West Virginia Conference standings, for homecoming, a sure victory was anything but a guarantee.
Shepherd, nonetheless, made the Golden Eagles look like a usual homecoming patsy in a 49-13 rout at Ram Stadium. Not even Shepherd coach Monte Cater thought everything would go his team’s way.
“It really wasn’t (supposed to be this easy),” he said. “You look at it in any shape or form and this wasn’t something you thought would be this way at all.”
The game carried significant ramifications for the league standings and down the road for the playoffs. Shepherd (5-1) and Charleston (5-2) are now tied for second in the league with a 3-1 mark, while West Liberty, which still must play the Golden Eagles and Rams, is in first place at 3-0.
But on Saturday, there was a big divide between the two teams that now sit in second place.
The game was close late in the second quarter after Charleston’s DaRonte Hunter connected with Terrance Spencer for a 61-yard touchdown pass to make it 14-13, Shepherd.
The Rams responded and ambushed Charleston in the waning minutes of the first half and the opening minutes of the second.
Tyler Lazear hit Nikkolai Norrell with a pass for a 44-yard touchdown to make it 21-13. After Shepherd’s defense forced a three-and-out, Charleston punter Wes Sherrill got off a low, line-drive punt that Deante Steele fielded on the run. The freshman made a nice cut across the field and shook off a tackler before racing 68 yards for the score.
To start the third quarter, Charleston again failed to get a first down, and the Rams grabbed the game by the throat on their ensuing possession when Lazear connected with Mark Springirth for a 70-yard touchdown.
“The touchdown at the start of the second half is the killer,” Charleston third-year coach Tony DeMeo said. “That was a real tough play. They ran back the punt, which was a surprise. We had been playing good special teams this year.”
After the 5-minute, 23-second stretch had elapsed, Shepherd had turned a one-point game into a 35-13 blowout. The staggered Golden Eagles, which run a methodical, run-based option offense, had no chance to get back in the game.
“If we wanted to win, we had to throw the ball,” DeMeo said. “That’s what took away our running game.”
Shepherd’s defense did its part, too. It wasn’t like the Golden Eagles were racing up and down the field prior to Shepherd’s explosion. Charleston’s rush offense, which came in second in the league, finished with only 118 yards on 35 totes.
Hunter, a dual threat to run and throw, was limited to 49 yards on 13 carries. He did throw for 157 yards, but had two interceptions.
“(Our defense) really played well today against a team that attacks you and forces you to play good situational football,” Cater said.
Charleston’s rush defense, which came in leading the conference at 71 yards per game, was trashed by the Rams, who finished with 290 yards on 51 carries. Dervon Wallace, as usual, led the charge with 138 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries.
Vincent Riggs added 70 yards and a score, while freshman Jimmy Sutch had 59 yards and his first career TD.
While the running game was its usual self, it was Shepherd’s big play, play-action passing game that really came to life. Lazear finished a precise 11 of 14 for 218 yards and three touchdowns. He connected with seven different receivers.
Shepherd’s passing game was key to keeping Charleston from keying on Wallace.
“(Lazear) made us stay off Wallace,” DeMeo said. “If he couldn’t throw the ball at all, we would’ve been fine.”
The play DeMeo deemed to be the backbreaker was actually improvised by Shepherd at halftime.
“We were going to take a couple shots (downfield) because their free safety, when we ran outside zone plays, he came down so hard and the coaches saw it,” Lazear said. “We came in at halftime and actually made that play up; the blocking scheme was the same, but the receivers’ routes were different.”
On the play, Lazear faked to Wallace and found Springirth, his secondary target. The ball was actually underthrown, allowing Charleston’s Mike Williams to catch up, but Springirth made the adjustment and then raced the rest of the way to the end zone.
“We found a way to get some big plays,” Cater said.
Said Lazear: “We’re starting to click now, finally. Everything right now is working.”
The game, however, began on a negative note for the Rams when Charleston pushed the Rams’ defense around for an 11-play, 97-yard touchdown drive capped by a Hunter 2-yard TD run.
Shepherd, unlike in the game it lost to Glenville when it fell behind, responded this time. A 10-play, 70-yard march was capped by a Lazear-to-Nasser Muhammad play-action pass TD from 2 yards out on third-and-goal.
The Rams added to their lead after Jerome Quinata’s interception set up Shepherd at the Charleston 43. After a couple of Riggs runs, Wallace raced 28 yards around left end for the score and a 14-6 lead.
“We answered the bell,” Cater said. “We talked about playing well across the board and we did.”
Martinsburg Journal
SHEPHERDSTOWN – Traditional logic says that football teams are supposed to schedule a doormat for homecoming. After all, nobody wants the weekend’s festivities spoiled because the football team loses.
So when No. 22 Shepherd scheduled Charleston, which came into Saturday’s game leading the West Virginia Conference standings, for homecoming, a sure victory was anything but a guarantee.
Shepherd, nonetheless, made the Golden Eagles look like a usual homecoming patsy in a 49-13 rout at Ram Stadium. Not even Shepherd coach Monte Cater thought everything would go his team’s way.
“It really wasn’t (supposed to be this easy),” he said. “You look at it in any shape or form and this wasn’t something you thought would be this way at all.”
The game carried significant ramifications for the league standings and down the road for the playoffs. Shepherd (5-1) and Charleston (5-2) are now tied for second in the league with a 3-1 mark, while West Liberty, which still must play the Golden Eagles and Rams, is in first place at 3-0.
But on Saturday, there was a big divide between the two teams that now sit in second place.
The game was close late in the second quarter after Charleston’s DaRonte Hunter connected with Terrance Spencer for a 61-yard touchdown pass to make it 14-13, Shepherd.
The Rams responded and ambushed Charleston in the waning minutes of the first half and the opening minutes of the second.
Tyler Lazear hit Nikkolai Norrell with a pass for a 44-yard touchdown to make it 21-13. After Shepherd’s defense forced a three-and-out, Charleston punter Wes Sherrill got off a low, line-drive punt that Deante Steele fielded on the run. The freshman made a nice cut across the field and shook off a tackler before racing 68 yards for the score.
To start the third quarter, Charleston again failed to get a first down, and the Rams grabbed the game by the throat on their ensuing possession when Lazear connected with Mark Springirth for a 70-yard touchdown.
“The touchdown at the start of the second half is the killer,” Charleston third-year coach Tony DeMeo said. “That was a real tough play. They ran back the punt, which was a surprise. We had been playing good special teams this year.”
After the 5-minute, 23-second stretch had elapsed, Shepherd had turned a one-point game into a 35-13 blowout. The staggered Golden Eagles, which run a methodical, run-based option offense, had no chance to get back in the game.
“If we wanted to win, we had to throw the ball,” DeMeo said. “That’s what took away our running game.”
Shepherd’s defense did its part, too. It wasn’t like the Golden Eagles were racing up and down the field prior to Shepherd’s explosion. Charleston’s rush offense, which came in second in the league, finished with only 118 yards on 35 totes.
Hunter, a dual threat to run and throw, was limited to 49 yards on 13 carries. He did throw for 157 yards, but had two interceptions.
“(Our defense) really played well today against a team that attacks you and forces you to play good situational football,” Cater said.
Charleston’s rush defense, which came in leading the conference at 71 yards per game, was trashed by the Rams, who finished with 290 yards on 51 carries. Dervon Wallace, as usual, led the charge with 138 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries.
Vincent Riggs added 70 yards and a score, while freshman Jimmy Sutch had 59 yards and his first career TD.
While the running game was its usual self, it was Shepherd’s big play, play-action passing game that really came to life. Lazear finished a precise 11 of 14 for 218 yards and three touchdowns. He connected with seven different receivers.
Shepherd’s passing game was key to keeping Charleston from keying on Wallace.
“(Lazear) made us stay off Wallace,” DeMeo said. “If he couldn’t throw the ball at all, we would’ve been fine.”
The play DeMeo deemed to be the backbreaker was actually improvised by Shepherd at halftime.
“We were going to take a couple shots (downfield) because their free safety, when we ran outside zone plays, he came down so hard and the coaches saw it,” Lazear said. “We came in at halftime and actually made that play up; the blocking scheme was the same, but the receivers’ routes were different.”
On the play, Lazear faked to Wallace and found Springirth, his secondary target. The ball was actually underthrown, allowing Charleston’s Mike Williams to catch up, but Springirth made the adjustment and then raced the rest of the way to the end zone.
“We found a way to get some big plays,” Cater said.
Said Lazear: “We’re starting to click now, finally. Everything right now is working.”
The game, however, began on a negative note for the Rams when Charleston pushed the Rams’ defense around for an 11-play, 97-yard touchdown drive capped by a Hunter 2-yard TD run.
Shepherd, unlike in the game it lost to Glenville when it fell behind, responded this time. A 10-play, 70-yard march was capped by a Lazear-to-Nasser Muhammad play-action pass TD from 2 yards out on third-and-goal.
The Rams added to their lead after Jerome Quinata’s interception set up Shepherd at the Charleston 43. After a couple of Riggs runs, Wallace raced 28 yards around left end for the score and a 14-6 lead.
“We answered the bell,” Cater said. “We talked about playing well across the board and we did.”